Electrically-driven toy vehicle



y-June1,

c. w. NEuzx-:RLING ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN TOY VEHICLE Fld May l, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

Tlllll l nlIL 1925 2 she'ets-set z @Mm/w C. W. NEUZERLING ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN TOY VEHICLE Filed May l,

June 1 1926.

ATTORNEY.

ifatented dune l, 1926i.

UNITE STATES GFFHC'E. y

CLARENCE W. NEUZERLING, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ELECTRICALLY-DRIVEN TOY VEHICLE.

Application sied May 1, 1925. serial No. 27,333.

, vehicle is traveling.

A further object is to .provide ,means whereby the steering lmechanism may be operated by inexperienced persons without danger of overloading` `the motor when the steering axle reaches the limit of -its turning movement.

A further object `is `to provide an electrically driven mechanical toy vehicle which may be operated about `the floor of a room by a person seated at a switchboard, the latter being mounted upon a table, wall, or any other suitable support.

in the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy vehi cle embodying my -invention and showing also .the switchboard and electrical connec tions.

Figure 2 isa View of the from the under side.

Figure 3 is a sectional view drawn on line .of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view-drawn on line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure is a view of the switchboard as seen `from the rear side.

Figure V6 is a view of one .of the switch levers as seen 'from the rear side.

Figure L7 :is a sectional view on `line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Likerparts are identified by lthe same reference characters throughout the several Sam@ aS S6611 views.

The `body 1 of the vehicle .has the usual form of a motor driven vehicle, the construction shown illustrating a truck. Underneath the hood 2 ythere are two -electric motors, `the armatures of which are indicated at 3 vand 4 in FFigure 2. The field magnets Vare indicated -at 5 .and A`6. The Mforward motor shaft 7 is operatively connected withasteering post 10 bythe sprocket wheel 12, chain 13, sprocket wheel 14, transverse shaft 15, worm 16, worm wheel 17, shaft 18,

worm 19, and -worm wheel 20, `the latter 'ibeing mounted upon the steering` post 10. The wheel 2O is not positively `connected with the steering` post vbut .bears frictionally upon a disk 22 against which the wheel is pressed by ythe spring actuated disk 23,

there `being a coiled spring 24 interposed between this disk and a bearing plate 25 carried by the bolster 26, the steering post serving as a means for turning the steer ing wheels and alsoas a kingpin. Theends of the bolster 26 'are down turned and apertured to receive the axle 27, whereby the turning movement of the bolster is transmitted to the .front =axleand the associated wheels. The disk 22 is fastr on steering post 10.

lt wil-l be understood that the `object of frictionally connecting the forward motor with the central steering post through the friction `disk 22 s to allow .the motor to continue to turn without over-loadafter the steering wheels have been turned to `thelimit of their .movement in either direction. If desired, the saine slip joint `connection may be made between the driving connection of the rear motor and the .rear axle. The frictional connection maybe made at any convenient point in the line of motion transmission.

The rear axle 30 yis similarly supported in the down turned end portions 31 of the rear bolster `32. The latter is connected with the underside of the plat-form 33 by a bolt 34 having an interposed apertured stud or bearing 35, whereby the bolster isl permitted to oscillate .to an extent determined by the space between the respective ends of the bolster andthe platform.

The rear motor shaft 40 is operatively connected .to turn the rear axle and drive one `or both rear `wheels through the sprocket wheel 41, chain 42, sprocket wheel 43, shaft 44, worm 45, `worm wheel 46, transmission shaft 47 and gear wheels 48 and 49, the latter being -secured to the lrear axle 30 by a set screw 51 passing through its hub. The rear end 0f the transmission-'shaft 47 is supported by "bracket 50 vfrom the rear axle, said bracket being formed `to provide two bearings and the transmission shaft having adjustable collars 52 andl 53 which limit .longitudinal movements of the shaft.

The motor shaft ,and also the forward;

of the respective motors are supported from this same trame by cross rods or bars 56.

The electrical wires or connections for the respective motors are bundled in a cord 60 and lead to the respective motors from suitable groups of terminals mounted upon a switchboard 64. When the pairs et terminals and 66, 67 and 68 are bridged, an electrical circuit may be closed through the forward motor by means oit a switch lever, hereinafter described, to drive said motor in a direction to turn the steering wheels to the right. When the terminal 65 is bridged to 67 and terminal 66 to terminal 68, the direction of the current is reversed and the motor will be operated to turn the steering wheels to the left.

Referring now to the group of terminals at the other end oi the switchboard, a bridging of terminals 70 to 71 and 72 to 73 will operate the rear motor in a direction to cause the vehicle to move forwardly, whereas by bridging of terminal 70 to i2 and 7l to 73, the current will be reversed and the motor will be operated to back the vehicle.

The switch levers '.74 and 75 for the respective groups of Contact terminals are located at opposite en ds of the switchboard 64. Each lever comprises an insulated handle 77 and a pair of contacts 78 and 79 respectively, these contacts being suitably formed for bridging the terminals in pairs, as above described, with an intermediate neutral position in which neither circuit will be closed but in which said contacts 'Z8 and 79 will respectively register with only one terminal ci each pair such, 'for example, as the terminals 7l and 72 or the terminals 66y and 67.

It will of course be understood that the switchboard is electrically connected with a suitable source of electric power through the leading-in wires 80 and 8l.

The cords may ot course be made ot any desired length whereby the switchboard may be mounted at the most convenient point in a room. It desired, the cords may be supported at an intermediate point by any suitable means such, for example, as the light coiled spring 85 illustrated in Figure l, as being connected to the ceiling of the room for the purpose o'l holding the cord above the floor, the spring, however, being` adapted to yield with sniiicient freedom to allow the vehicle to travel to all parts ot the room.

I claim l. The combination with a toy vehicle having steering andfdriving wheels, ot a pair of velectric motors mounted lupon said vehicle, one of said motors being operatively connected to swing the steering wheel axle for steering purposes, and the other Lampes motor being operatively connected with a driving wheel, and flexibly connected, relatively stationary, current controlling means adapted to be operated from a fixed point to control the movements ot said vehicle and actnate it in any direction and to any distance within the range of movement permitted by said flexible connections.

2. The combination with a toy vehicle having steering and driving wheels, of a pair of electric motors mounted upon said vehicle, one -oiz said motors being operatively connected to swing the steering wheel aXle for steering purposes, andthe other motor being operatively connected with a driving wheel, said steering wheel connections including` a pair of rictionally yieldable driving and driven members adapted to allow the motor to continue in operation after adjusting the steering` wheels to the limit of their movementiii-either direction.

3. The combination with a toy vehicle having steering and driving wheels, of a pair of electric motors mounted upon said vehicle, one of said motors being operatively connected to steer the vehicle and the other motor being operatively connected with a driving wheel, a relatively stationary switchboard provided with switches controlling the circuits of the respect-ive motors, and iiexible electrical connections between the switchboard and said motors, adapted to permit a limited range of vehicle travel in various directions relatively to the switchboard.

4e. ln a toy vehicle, the combination with steering wheels, of a steering post, an electric motor operatively connected to oscillate the steering post, and means for al lowing the motor to continue in operation after oscillating the steering postte the limit of its movement in either direction.

5. In a toy vehicle, having electrically operable driving and steering mechanisms and also having iiexble connection with a relatively stationary source ot' electric power, the combination with such flexible connection', of a relatively stationary switchboard in independent controlling relation to both t-he driving and steering mecha nisms of the vehicle.

6. The combination with a switchboard adapted to be placed upon a support such as a table, of a toy vehicle provided with driving and steering mechanisms, separate motors for operating the driving and steering mechanisms respectively, separate switches on the switchboard, each cont-rolling operation of one of the motors, and a flexible cord containing the conductors for the respective motors, extending from the switchboard to such motors.

CLARENCE lV. NEUZERLING. 

